Mail-bag-delivery device.



, F. H. KISERP MAIL BAG DELIVERY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1.1917.

155mm mm Feb. 26,1918.

INVENTOR AT TURN EY y 'p yTED earns learner M I nema n. KI-SEB, or Lemons; rnivnsrtvnnfli.

To aZZ 'w/w'mit may concern:

lie it knownthat I, FRANK l-L Kisnn; a citizen oi the United States, residing'..at Latrobe, V in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have iinvented certain new and useful Improvements in lvl'ail-BagDelivery Devices, of which the following a specification.

This invention relates to railway mail delivering devices and has for its principal object to provide a strong, simple, and sure means tor collecting holding and looking in position after collection from a pass' ing mail car, mail sackscollected therefrom while the train passes.

A turther object of the invention istoprovide in a mail sack collecting device a stationary upright support placed beside the railway track, on' the top of which is carried a horizontal bar rotatable in bearings and provided with a projecting arm bent into such shape as will readily gatherthe mail sacks projected from the mailcar; and after so collecting the sacks to swing downwardly and engage locking means'that will hold the sack from falling or from accidental dis-- pla cement.

l l ith the above as the principal objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of: parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accon'ipanying drawing, in which:

'i igure 1 is an elevation of the improved mail bag collecting device in position to receive a mail sack from a passing mail car.

2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a detailed view in section of the upper portion or the collecting device on the line of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, IO indicates a portion of a railway mail car within which near thedoor 11 is mounted a crane 12 comprising a vertically located post 13 from which project two spaced horizontal arms 14 and 15 on the ends of which are holding means 16 for supporting the mail sack 17 in position to be collected when the crane is swung outwardly from the side of the car, as shown in Fig. 1. A handle 18 projects from the post 13 for swinging the crane.

At the side of the railroad track and at a suitable distance therefrom are erected two vertical posts 19 and 20, disposed in the line of the track and each having secured M IL-BAe-nnmvEnY nnvrcn.

Specification of letters Patent.

pate t drenea eis.

Application filed July '7, 1917. Serial No. 179,172.

to its upper end on the side adjacent the track a bearing .21 within which bearing. is mounted a horizontal rocking bar or' shaft 22,said bar also having'limited longitudinal movement in its bearings. Fixed to -one end of the rocking bar 22 is a mail bag collectingarm 23 adapted when in operative position-toextendtoward the car in a horizontal plane and when in inoperativepositionto lmng downwardly as in dotted lines. Fig. 3. The collecting arm 23 is formed with a loop 24 extending from the pointof attaclnnentfof said arm to the rocking bar in the directionrfi movement of thepassing car, the outer part of said loopEforming the principal part of the arm 23 extending in the opposite direction and at an angle to the bar for a sufficient distance to easily grasp a mail sack suspended from the crane of a car. Theouter endofi the arm '23 is bent oiyturned backwardly upon itself for a short distance and lies vparalle'lto theroclring bar-22 as clearly shown ,at 25. Project-- ing from the rocking bar on the side opposite the arm 23 is a finger 26; A-second finger 27 projects from the same slde of the rocking bar near its opposite end, the distance betweensaid fingers being less than the distance between the posts 19 and for a purpose to be described later.

A pin 28 projects from the post 19 toward the post 20 at such a point that when the arm 23 is swung into horizontal position and the rocking bar 22 moves endwise toward the post 19, the finger 26 will pass under the pin 28 and hold the arm 23 extended in horizontal position for collecting the mail sacks. In this position the finger 27 will be spaced a short distance from the post 20. 7

Below the bearing 21 on post 19 is a b 'acket 29 in which is mounted a pivoted pawl 30 that normally stands in vertical position and is so maintained by gravity or by resilient means as may be desired. The distance of this pawl from the bearing 21 is such that when the arm 23 swings downwardly, the terminal end 25 thereof will strike the pawl and, tilting the same, come to rest in the dotted position shown in Fig. 3. The pawn returning to its upright position holds the arm against outward movement by engaging with a stop 31.

In operation the arm 23 is swung into horizontal position as shown in the drawing to receive a mail sack 17 extended from the crane 12 of a passing car. As the car passes, the mail sackengages the arm and is withdrawn from the crane, the force causing the rocking bar 22 to moveendwise in the direction of the moving crane until the finger 27 strikes the post 20. This movement of the bar is suflicient to withdraw the finger 26 from the pin 28, whereupon the weight ofthe arm and mail sack posure to the weather, and by mounting the postl9jin concrete foundation a rigid and a immovable structure will be provided and will require practically no care or attention to keep the same in operative condition.

"I claim:

1. A mail bag collecting device compris ing a support formed of two upright posts disposed in line with a railway track at the side thereof and a bearingat the upper end of each of said posts, a horizontal bar rotatably and longitudinally mounted in said 7 bearings, a mail bag collecting arm project- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ing from said bar near one end thereof and having a bag holding loop therein, spaced fingers on said bar to limit the longitudinal movement of the bar by engagement with bination with two vertical posts disposed in line with a railway track and at the side thereof, and a bearing on the upper end of each of said posts, of a horizontal bar rotatably and longitudinally movable in said bearings, an arm projecting from one end of said bar having a pocket therein to receive the mail sack and a locking tooth on its outer end, spaced fingers projecting from the bar between said posts and limiting longitudinal movement of said bar, a pin projecting from one of said posts adapted to engage the adjacent finger on said bar and hold the arm in horizontal position for collecting a mail sack, and a locking pawl on one of said posts for engaging the tooth on said arm and holding the latter in a depressed position when released from the holding action of said pin and finger.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

: FRANK H. KISER.

Witnesses:

JAMES G. Home, A. B. SAXMAN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0." 

